One Last Breath And Life Goes On
by xMangekyoux
Summary: Spoilers. Read at your own risk. Asuma reflects on his life and the people important to him. Kurenai tries to explain a difficult subject to her son. Two Shot.
1. One Last Breath

**Word Count:** 913 Words.

**Story Title:** One Last Breath.

**Summary: **Spoilers. Read at your own risk. Asuma reflects on his life and the people important to him. Kurenai tries to explain a difficult subject to her son. Two-Shot.

**Pairing:** None.

**Warning:** Spoilers, Character Death, Angst,

**Disclaimer:** By any means, Naruto belongs to the genius Masashi Kishimoto – not me. I, however, know this story that I've written for your entertainment.

**Author Notes: **Like whoa - first one-shot that I'll be posting ever. This idea came from no where almost – I was listening to my play-list on my Windows Media Player and came across the song, "One Last Breath" by Creed [which is in the fic. And all the sudden – I thought of Asuma. :\ I loved him and his character and I'm so disappointed that he had to die. So here it is! This is set in Asuma's point of view. This may turn into a two shot.

* * *

So this was how it felt? That cold sensation before you slipped into a cold and dark slumber forever without ever seeing the faces of those you loved when you woke up to the sun in the morning. I was going to miss waking up to my wife's face in the morning and every time I came home from a long day's work. Her smile … her laugh… how beautiful she was, everything about her – she was my reason to returning home, my rose, my _world_, my _everything_. I remembered how we met in the Academy, I had the biggest crush on her .. I always acted like an idiot around her. I finally came clean once we had known each-other for awhile once I become a Jounin. .. Then we got married a few months ago.

_Please come now I think I'm falling,  
I'm holding to all I think is safe,  
It seems I found the road to nowhere,  
And I'm trying to escape,  
I yelled back when I heard thunder,  
But I'm down to one last breath,  
And with it let me say,  
Let me say._

But this time, I wasn't going to be returning home to see my wife's face. I know once the news broke – that smile will disappear forever from my wife's face. What pained me more ... I was never going to see the child she was having grow up and becoming a ninja like me. That broke my heart. I was never going to see my son or daughter .. and they were never going to meet their father. The only way they were going to bond with me is through the stories that others will tell them.

_Hold me now,  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking,  
That maybe six feet,  
Ain't so far down._

I suddenly remembered what my father's funeral was like. The Great Sarutobi, the Professor, the Third Hokage. All my friends… my family – lined up to grief over the lost – to see them all crying and heart-broken. And now, they had to deal with that again. I thought of my nephew, Konohamaru – now he was going to lose his uncle. I don't know if that boy can handle another lost … after this, he wasn't going to have anyone else. I already can see the boy's sad and teary face, sobbing his poor heart out. It is gut-wrenching.

_I'm looking down now that it's over,  
Reflecting on all of my mistakes,  
I thought I found the road to somewhere,  
Somewhere in His grace,  
I cried out heaven save me,  
But I'm down to one last breath,  
And with it let me say,  
Let me say._

My team – they were like my own children almost. I watched them grow up, training hard to be ninja like their parents, despite the challenges and emotional journeys – they were always happy, all smiles and he was glad to have them as his team. But now, they were to force to see their friends… their second father to die here, the three of them all crying and pleading for me to stay awake and stay with them, to stay with Kurenai. I told them that couldn't promise that. They didn't understand. They continued to plead. It was time that I have to leave the world. At least I went out the way I wanted – going out fighting like any ninja should. I was going to die with honor – that mattered. My father died with honor fighting that scum Orochimaru and I was going to go out the same way, I always wanted to die this way.

_Hold me now,  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking,  
That maybe six feet,  
Ain't so far down._

I was proud. I finally was going to join my father. I still grieved over loosing the last family member I had, I lost my mother years ago .. and my brother. I had no one but my wife and my friends. I wish I could see their faces one more time. One more time – I wish I told my life how much I loved her … and tell my friends how much I loved them, too and how they were like family to me. Sadly, I couldn't do that.

_Sad eyes follow me,  
But I still believe there's something left for me,  
So please come stay with me,  
'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me,  
For you and me,  
For you and me._

I laughed at this point, I laughed in the face of death. I smiled and inhaled the terrible smoke of the partial burnt cigarette that I was determined to finish. I knew it was time to go now – the pain was gone and replaced with that cold sensation, my mind was slipping, my eyes drooping, I couldn't move, it felt like I was suffocating like a fish out of water. The cigarette stopped from my lips as I fought to stay awake. The last thing I saw before I took **my one last breath **was everyone I knew, smiles on their faces as they waved goodbye in my sub-conscious mind, then the world turned cold and I faded into a black oblivion.

_Hold me now,  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking.._


	2. Life Goes On

**Word Count:** 772 Words.

**Story Title:** Life Goes On

**Summary: **Spoilers.. Asuma reflects on his life and the people important to him. Kurenai tries to explain a difficult subject to her son. Two-Shot.

**Pairing:** None.

**Warning:** Spoilers, Character Death and Angst.

**Disclaimer:** By any means, Naruto belongs to the genius Masashi Kishimoto – not me. I, however, know this story that I've written for your entertainment.

**Author Notes: **Hello there! I decided to make a sequel to One Last Breath after listening to another song on my playlist which is "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Such a touching and amazing song, so I decided to type up a sequel to my first part of my one-shots. This is in Kurenai's Point of View.

* * *

Five years. Five years that my husband has been dead – my heart still hasn't healed since then. It still feels like someone tore my heart out and ripped it into a million shreds without a care. It's hard to even look at my own son without wanting to cry. Even at five – he takes so much after Asuma. The same grin, the same laugh, the same attitude, everything – It.. _scares_ me. Not only my son a splitting image … I _see_ Asuma still. Am I going insane? I don't know. Everywhere I turn, he's there .. every time I close my eyes, he's there… he haunts me. I can't go anywhere without seeing him. Why can't he just leave? I'm a wreck. Sometimes, I shut myself in my room and just stare at the pictures of him .. wondering why did this happen? Why did I let him go on that mission?

Like any other day, I picked up our son, **Isamu (A/N: Isamu means "Courage or Bravery")** from the Academy. The sides of my lips twitched slightly as I cracked off a small smile as I watched the five-year old boy came hurrying toward me quickly with a toothy grin. "Hi Mommy!" He said, happily as he hugged me around my legs and clung to the front of my white dress, staring up at me with those brown eyes of his.

I was silent for a moment, studying the boy for a moment like I always did every time when I look at him. So much like his father - Isamu had adorned her lighter skin and black hair, while he took on his father's brown eyes and his face. "How was your day?" I finally chimed as the boy shrugged, releasing my dress, leaving wrinkles in it from his tiny grip.

"Okay, I guess." He said as he scratched his short black hair. I knew something was wrong.

I sighed, taking the little boy's hand and began to walk slowly with him in the direction of our home. There was a silence between us – I hated it when that happened. "Why was it 'okay, I guess', Isamu? Was someone picking on you?" I questioned, slowly as I look down at the boy whom refused to look at him. "… Yeah, someone was." He answered, hesitantly. He still didn't tell me about what. But, I had the feeling that I knew.

"Why were they picking on you?" I asked softly, stopping for a moment as I stopped and knelt down to his level. His big brown eyes looked at me, sadly as a deep frown appear on his face. "Because I don't have a dad." He answered and then continued. "…Mom, where is dad?" He questioned, tilting his head and blinked curiously.

My heart sank. I knew at some point .. I had to answer this question, but I didn't know how. He is still young .. and didn't understand death as of now. I sadly looked at Isamu, thinking long and hard as I took his tiny hands in mine's. My eyes drifted to a place over the boy's head ... I saw_ him_. Asuma. Standing behind our son, a smile on his face – I finally smiled … a true smile in five years as I looked back at Isamu, a few years sliding down my cheeks. Isamu blinked, watching me, almost confused. "Mom?" He asked, worried.

I laughed slightly as I let go one of his hands and whipped my tears away from eyes. "I'm sorry, Isamu. Well.. your father will always be a part of you, he's watching you always, even though, he isn't here with us physically. He's with you in spirit. He was an amazing ninja who carried about his comrades first before himself – he put his life on the line. And he's a hero because of that. Ignore those other kids, they have no idea what they're talking about." I finally explained, standing up as I ruffled Isamu's head.

Isamu merely smiled, taking my hand again and looked up at the sky. "In that case, if you're there, dad? I love you and I want to be just like you and great grandfather Saru!" He exclaimed. I smiled, looking over my shoulder to see Asuma laugh. I blinked and he was suddenly gone with a blow of the wind.

"_I love you, too, son. Take care of your mother. And, I love you, too, Kurenai."_ A voice whispered among the wind and Isamu looked up at me with wide brown eyes. I said nothing, but smiled and we continued on home.


End file.
